Bedclothes clamp



March 6, 1934. E, s. HALSEY BEDGLOTHES CLAMP Filed Aug. 2, 1935 [fide/Y?? Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to a device for quickly clamping the foot end of the sheets and blankets, and other top covers, ii desired, securely toa bed.

My prime object is the creation of a device G which will not only expedite the making up of the bed at the change period but will securely hold the covers without danger of tearing, in perfect arrangement, until purposely released by a simple flip or turn of an operating handle.

A further object is to provide a simple, thin, vertically disposed clamping mechanism with an opposing pair of jaws spanning the width of the mattress, conveniently tting vbetween the foot board of any conventional bedstead and the end i of its springs, and/or mattress; so constructed that it may be'rigidly fixed by screws, or otherwise, to the foot end of the springs, in case the springs aiord a suitable end member for such fixed attachment. To meet all other cases, or :zo where such iixed attachment is not'bonvenient, I have provided a detachable skeleton Outrigger which may be of wicket form and laid on top of the spring, being held down by the mattress, as shown in detail by the drawing.

Minor objects will be made apparent by the detailed description of the device. A

The invention consists in the features and combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out by the claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device and foot end portions of a box spring and overlying mattress, between which, indicated by dotted lines, is located the V shaped Outrigger supporting the clamping mechanism flatly against their ends.

Figs. 2 and -i are side elevations of this same arrangement in partial cross section and further indicating the adjustment of the bed covers, Fig.

4o 2, showing the clamp closed and Fig. 4, with the clamp open.

Fig. 3 is a foot end view of the device in elevation and Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sections thereof on lines 5--5, and 66, respectively.

Going into the details of the construction and operation 4of my preferred form of the device, as is shown by the drawing, the clamp is primarily constituted by an opposed parallel pair of stiff, non-yielding strips, 1 and 2, spanning the width 5o of the mattress. The upper strip, 1,is preferably formed up from a strip of sheet metal, such as duralumin and the bottom strip, 2, from a thin strip of wood. The top strip being bent at an acute angle so as to form a downward facing groove, constituting a clamping jaw, while the uppermost edge of the wooden strip, 2, is acutely beveled into a wedge form more or less in counterpart to the above cooperating groove, thus creating an effective grip on the intervening covers when these two beveled clamping jaws, or faces, are firmly pressed together.

Secured to the back side of the top channeled strip, 1, are two vertical metal strips, 3 and 3, acting as a connecting frame-work for uniting the several elements of the unit. The lower ends of these two frame strips are formed into loops,` 3' and 3', acting as journaled bearings for the operating shaft, 5. Rigidly iixed to the opposite ends of said shaft are a pair of operating handles, 4 and 4, into which are drilled socket holes, 4' and 4', for loosely fitting the ends of the spring rod couplings, 6 and 6, journaled therein. The upper ends of these two spring rod Avcouplings are bent S shaped with their vertical prong extremity driven into vertical holes drilled in thev wooden strip and having side channels, 18 and 18, in the edge of said strip runnirm out from the drilled anchor holes, preventing all movement of the spring rod other than the cushion spring action in its curved portions when compressed to the closed position when the handles are rotated in the direction to force them upwards to the locked position.

It will be noted that while in this position the lower arm of the spring rod comes to a stopped position against the vertical frame rod, 3, which position is somewhat past the center line of pressure of the toggle movement created by the two lever arms formed between the long arm, 6, and the short arm of handle piece, 4, which extends from its main journaled center to the center of hole 4'.

Thus whenthe operating handle is turned to force upwards the clamping strip 2, through the medium of connecting rods, 6, and 6, after the angle of maximum pressure is passed, the lower end of the rod snaps to its stopped position against frame strip 3, locking the clamp in this position. Conversely, in releasing the device, when the operating handle is forced in the opposite or opening direction, the clamp iiies open with a snap action, immediately when the line of maximum pressure is passed. A

Referring to Fig. 4, which shows the mechanism in an open position, with the intervening covers between the two jaws, indicated by 16, it

will be understood that the closing of the clamp must'be followed by the second gripping movement which terminates in a firm upward presv sure, gripping the covers iirmly, as is shown in While the. first portion, or lateral, movement may be accomplished by the hand of the operator prior to the final turning movement of the operating handle, which gives the compression movement, I have provided means to accomplish this entire dual movement by the simple twisting which it is rotated through the medium of its` friction grip on the rod. The upper end of this friction lever has a sliding connection with the wooden clamping strip, 2, by means of slot, 8,

and the stud screw, 9, passing loosely through it and firmly held in the wooden strip.

Thus it may be observed that uponthe first part of the turning movement of the operating rod, the lower strip, 2, is rocked over by friction until the covers touch the vertical face of the clamp. Following'this sidewise movement, the

friction collar begins to slip so that all further rotation of the operating shaft creates an upward movement, terminating in the nal snap-action, locked position.

During the final portion of this dual movement, it will be observed that the clamping strip, 2, is allowed to slip upwards away from the operating shaft by the free movement of the screw stud,

9, in slot, 8.

In Fig'. 4, reference character, 14, indicates a conventional bed foot-board which is simply introduced to showhow it may act as back-stop for` the clamp strip, 2, in the open position, while 13, indicates a supporting slat for the springs, 12, and 17, indicates a fraction of the bedstead frame supporting'said'slat.`

l0 and 10 are a pair of fiat metal strips pivoted together at 10. up at right angles and. pierced by a threaded hole, by means of which the vertical clamping mechanism is rigidly attached to it .by screws, 15 and l5.

It is --obvious that this Outrigger, forming a skeleton frame for supporting the clamp, may be readily detached and folded for at shipment.

It is .further obvious that where a bed springs `channels and. wedging tongues instead of one..- Nor is vit absolutely essential thatv it should in-H The resilient with a rigid end strip is encountered, this clamp could-readily be screwed on to said rigid end piece' insteadof being screwed on to the outrigger, 10.

,'While `I have `onl-y attempted to. show my in-' vention in the one preferred form, it is obvious that various modifications will immediately come toqnind. Forinstance, it is not imperative that the twoclamping jaws be formed to come togetherl with sharp angular faces, as it could be made to operate with fiatcontact faces, or with several corporate spring connecting rods. element may be provided in numerous different forms. Nor in the broad. interpretation of my `invention is it necessary to employ a dual clamping movement, nora vertical movement, nor to create the clamping pressure by ...a togglelever Their other extremities'are bent bent over abruptly clamping jaws.

I claim:

1. In a thin detachable, bedclothes clamping, anchoring unit, perpendicularly positioned between the beds footboard andthe foot end of the springs and mattress; a parallel pair of stiff clamping strips equipped with cooperating clamping jaws 4spanning the widthof the bed; a beveled gripping groove' formed in the clamping face of one of said-jaws,'extending from endto end thereof; an abruptly projected cooperating gripping tongue formed onthe vclamping face of the opposing jaw ofthe'other said strip; a vertically inclined hinged tension frame mounting and uniting s'aid clamping strips; an operating shaft for uniformly opening and closing said jaws, so mountedin the frame of said detachable unit that it can be operated from' either side of the bed; and means for xing said unitto the foot of a bedjsprings.

2. In a thin bedclothes clamping unit vertically positioned against the foot end of -the springs and mattress; acooperating pair of .stiff'horizontal ,clamping strips spanning the width. of the mattress, arranged one above the other; a vertical `framework carrying oneof said strips from its uppermost extremity and carrying the other Vsaid strip engaged with its lower extremity; an

operating shaft for effecting a clamping movement betweensaid upper vand lower strips, journaled in thebottom end of said framework; and

-means for holding said unit to the foot end oi' the bed spring.l

3. In a thin bedclothes clamping unit vertically positioned against. the foot end of the springs and mattress; a cooperating pair of stiff horizontal clamping strips spanning the width of the mattress arranged one above the other; a verticalframework carrying the top. one of said strips xed to its upper extremity and carrying the lower one of Vs aid strips by a flexible coupling from its lowerextremity; an operating shaft for effecting a clamping movement between said upper and lower strips, extending lengthwise of said framework and movable mounted in the lower portion thereof; and means for holding said unit to thefoot end ofthe bed'spring.

4. A-bedclothes clamp according to claim 3, in which the upper clampingnstrip is constituted by a strip of .sheet metal with its upper edge toform an inverted gripping channel. 1 1.

5. A bedclothes clamp according to claim 3,

4in whichthe lower clamping strip, in its closing operationemploys a dual. movement, the first portion of 'which is lateral in-direction and the second portion of which terminates in a vertical clamping pressure.

6. A bedclothes .clamp according to claiml 3, in which is incorporated a spring cushioning element between its power shaft and one of its `'1. A bedclothes clamping unit according to jclainiv 3, operated by a snap spring locking action. 8. In a bedclothes clamping unit accordingv .to claim 3, in which the closing pressure between the jaws is created-by a toggle lever action between the operating shaft and one of said jaws. 9. A bedclothes clamping unit `according .to claim 3, having an operating handle on each end of its operating shaft for operation' 'from' ias of the mattress arranged one above the other: a vertical framework carrying the top one of said strips xed to its upper extremity and carrying the lower one of said strips by a exible coupling from its lower extremity; an operating shaft for effecting a clamping movement between said upper and lower strips, extending lengthwise of said framework and movably mounted in the lower portion thereof, said lower clamping strip having a dual closing movement, the rst portion of which is lateral in direction and the second portion of which terminates in a vertical clamping., pressure; a friction driven lever carried `by said operating shaft for actuating the first portion of said dual closing movement; and means for holding said unit to the foot end ofl the bedsprings.

11. In a device according to claim 1, in which the means for holding said unit to the foot end of the bed springs is constituted by a suitable, thin horizontal Outrigger fixed to the back of the vertical clamping mechanism adapted to be projected to an eiective distance between the foot end of the springs and mattress for the purpose specified.

12. In combination with a thin detachable bedclothes clamping unit, vertically positioned against the foot end of the springs and mattress, means for holding said unit in said position constituted by a suitable thin horizontal Outrigger secured to the back of said clamping unit, adapted to project to an effective distance between the springs and mattress for the purpose specified.

13. In a device according to claim 12, in which said Outrigger is in the form of a wicket, the two ends of which are rigidly xed to the vertically disposed clamping mechanism.

14. In a device according to claim 12, in which the Outrigger is in the form of a collapsible hinged skeleton frame detachably fixed to the back of the vertically disposed clamping unit.

15. In a bedclothes clamping unit according to claim 3, in which the movements of the lower clamping strip are actuated by said operating shaft through the medium of a spring cushioned toggle lever action, said toggle `movement being so adapted as to terminate in a snap, self locking,

EDWARD S. HALSEY. 

